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Just a few months ago, Fred Thompson was the knight in shining armor who was going to save the Republican Party from a weak ’08 field that excited no one and offered no ideal option for conservative voters.

The online “Fredheads” built buzz. Thompson, his wife, Jeri, and their advisers began assembling a campaign.

Then a cloud slowly moved over Planet Fred. Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani had their pre-season workouts, honed their stump speeches and built vibrant organizations in the early-voting states.

Mike Huckabee, an evangelical conservative, got a bounce from zesty debate performances and a strong showing at the Iowa Straw Poll.

Had Thompson missed his window? Has his niche been filled? Some activists complain that he’s the cute girl who rebuffs you so long that you lose interest.

So what looked promising now looks merely possible. But Thompson advisers say they remain optimistic. And most of all, they say their candidate is raring to go.

Here’s the argument they make for how Thompson could come from way behind to become the party’s nominee:

-- Against rivals who can seem alien, programmed or off-putting, Thompson looks down-home and approachable.

He’s bald and roly-poly (though slimmer than before), and anything but robotic. At a time when Washington’s out, Southern charm looks appealing — even though he’s a former lobbyist who lives in McLean, Va.

-- Star power has always made a difference through political history, and even more so in a culture saturated with mass media. Thompson advisers say that because of his roles in NBC’s “Law & Order,” the big-screen “The Hunt for Red October” and other acting gigs ranging from “Matlock” to “Die Hard 2,” people recognize his face, even if they don’t know the name.

“Once you recognize the face, you’re more likely to listen to the voice,” said one of Thompson’s longtime advisers. “It’s distinctive. It’s Southern. It’s homey.”

-- Thompson — from his calm manner to his teddy-bear-like physique — cuts a soothing persona at a time when polls show that voters are extremely worried about security. “He’s the biggest daddy bear around,” chortled one longtime friend.

Readers' Comments (51)

It seems like Thompson is the MSM's guy which could only mean they think he's beatable in the general election.A Harris poll on Thompson with republicans said nobody knows where he stands on the issue yet they support him to some degree.That can only be done with imaging ,not substance.Romney has stuck his chin out there taking a firm position on everything and he winds up getting hammered.Romney took a measured position on the war until he hears the Petreaus report and he gets hammered on that.Finally,NH republicans are a poor excuse for real republicans.They just sounded like a bunch of typical liberals in Luntz's focus group.

New Hampshire voters are moral libertarians and social conservatives so their reaction is hard to read.

Money is the lifeblood of politics and, unlike the Democrats, the Republican faithful have been holding onto theirs. I think it is far too late for a Democratic contender to enter the race but not a Republican. Do not underestimate the attractiveness of Thompson's smooth southern style. I think voters may find him comforting and accessible. Also, do not underestimate his wife's political operative skills.

Concerning the debate: Huckabee had another strong showing with an especially good exchange with Paul on Iraq. Giuliani and McCain did well also. Giuliani is either very well coached or he is good on his feet. He had good responses about his personal life and the tax pledge. He seems to always know what he is talking about and can be self-deprecating, which gives him the appearance of not taking himself too seriously.

Romney dropped the ball on the question of his boys' political service compared to the service of soldiers. He did not know how to connect with the father who asked the question nor did he show that he understood his pain.

Reading over the website lists 500 vets for "The Tennessee Stud". Google shows multiple feeds from Redstate, TownHall, FreeRepublic highlighting Freddy's accomplishments with emphasis on Right Wing retoric. Nice try and I'm a Nam Vet NOT FOR FRED and know of many, many others that think identical. Go Fred Go.

i actually had a positive impression of fred until this week, when he decided to play it "cute" and skip the debate and appear on Leno instead. originally, he was my third choice, but is now in fifth, the lowest of the top-tier candidates. i think huckabee is replacing him as the viable conservative.

I hate to say it, but I think ol' Fred will peak today in the polls and become a third or fouth placer by November of this year. I can't see what he adds to anything that isn't already being said. Giuliani had it exactly right last night when he said "the so-called top-three Dem candidates have no executive experience and between them have never lead or managed a county, city, or a state and the American people aren't looking for someone to enter the oval office for on the job training." The same could be said for everyone from both political parties except Richardson, Romney, and Huckabee.

I've heard Fred speak on illegal immigration, the war in Iraq, radical Islam, etc. His views on these issues seem clear to me. It'll now be up to Fred to convey his message, his beliefs to a wider audience. To those who think Fred is some media darling or whatever, have patience. The media will go after Fred in direct proportion to his success. It's clear many conservatives are unhappy with the liberal Mormon and New York City mayor. Fred's entry can only help the GOP sort through a set of candidates that rank head and shoulders above First ladies, hedge fund winners, and newbie Senators.

Thompson's limited audience will take him only so far. Evangelical social conservatives, who have commandeered the Republican Party for the past 15 years, have so diminished the Party that their grasp at Thompson is as much a cry of desperation as anything else. Thompson's Senate voting record, ideologically impure lobbying work, and "lifestyle" (read: much younger wife) don't even qualify him as a logical fit for social conservatives. Thompson will make a strong showing in the South thanks to the Bible thumpers, but it is questionable whether he will even dominate the region. Up to this point it has been the more moderate candidates who dominate--Giuliani, Romney and McCain. The mainstream wing of the Republican Party is finally making a comeback. If things hold as they seem to be, Thompson is a throwback that will stall by February.